Jake’s Sunday Post: Attraction

Here I am squeaking in at the last minute for Jake’s Sunday Challenge ‘Attraction’.

I’ve shown you many of the places which have attracted me to travel to different places, The most memorable in my mind, being the amazing sight of Machu Picchu. This 15th century Inca site is to be found in the Cusco region of Peru, and is almost 8,000 feet above sea level.

Egypt had long been on my bucket list, and one of the attractions I really wanted to see, was The Great Sphinx of Giza, situated on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile River. The head of the Great Sphinx is believed to be that of the Pharaoh Khafra.

The fallen and badly damaged limestone statue of Ramesses The Great, near Memphis, would have stood over 13 metres high. He was the most powerful Pharaoh of them all, and ruled Egypt from 1279 to 1213 BC.

The famous Terracotta Army in X’ian, dates back to 210-209 BC. These soldiers and their horses were buried with the Emporer Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, supposedly to protect him in the afterlife.

Another attraction in China, is the Li River in Guangxi Zhuang. We did a cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, and the scenery was truly breathtaking.

The USA has many attractions, and the most amazing place I’ve ever visited is Yellowstone National Park. Something we had to see, was the Old Faithful cone geyser, which shoots 3,700 to 8,400 US gallons of boiling water to a height of 106 to 185 feet. The average height of an eruption is 145 feet, and occurs roughly every hour and a half.

Something else I’d always wanted to see was the huge bronze Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.It was inscribed with the words, “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” It dates back to 1752 and in its early years, was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens to public meetings and proclamations. It acquired its large crack some time in the early 19th century.

A well-known attraction in San Francisco, is the iconic trolley bus, or tram. The first ones were pulled by horses, who managed with great difficulty to climb the city’s steep hills, until the electric tram was tested and brought into service in 1873.

Of course, you can’t go to San Fran without visiting Fisherman’s Wharf, the most popular tourist attraction there.

I was so excited to see the Statue of Liberty on my first visit to New York. Lady Liberty is located in New York Harbour, and was a gift of international friendship from the people of France, in 1886.

So many attractions, so little time, but to end off, I just have to include another photo of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. This is one of the most photogenic attractions I’ve yet to see.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my pics. To see more attraction, visit Jake’s Sunday Post. He has already posted the next challenge, so why not have a go at it?

Funny and weird signs for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

I have quite a collection of photos for Cee’s challenge, and some you may have seen a few of them before, as Ailsa had the same theme last year.

On our beach, there is a sand sculptor who plies his trade right opposite one of the two snazziest 5 star hotels in Umhlanga. There is always a message on his sculpture, and I think he does quite well out of the tourists. (The ‘Durban July’ is South Africa’s most famous horse race, and attracts race goers from all over Africa.)

Along the promenade are many holiday apartments, this sign is prominent outside one of them.

Up the road in the village is a hardware store, and I couldn’t resist snapping some of the signs for sale.

My trip to Belize in January, yielded many photo opportunities. There were funny signs everywhere.

Some of them were rather scary,

and even threatening.

The bar in our hotel had some interesting cocktails, but I stuck to the Mojitos. I didn’t dare order that first one.

At breakfast I was inspired every day by the thoughts posted on the wall of the dining room, especially, “Live in a state of radical appreciation.”

This sign in the restroom at Belize airport, intrigued me somewhat.

Here’s a rather encouraging sign I saw in a restaurant in England.

I remember this, so don’t worry about cholesterol when I’m eating pizza at one of  my favourite local restaurants.

Here’s a sign I and my granddaughters always find hard to resist.

Coney Island in Brooklyn New York, has many so-called attractions. Would you be tempted to pay your money to see this show? I wasn’t even mildly curious.

Now, this sign on hubby’s sister’s patio wall, sounds far more entertaining.

Here is a T-shirt I wanted to buy for hubby, but he wasn’t keen.

Only in Miami would you find yourself following a bus with this advertisement on the back. .

I have quite a few more signs I could show you, but I’m off to hide myself from the aliens. I saw this message on a fridge magnet at a flea market in Florida. The stallholder told us that  she has it on her fridge door, just in case she feels like trying to diet.

“The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us.” ~Bill Watterson

Have a great weekend, and if you’re a mom, have a very happy Mother’s Day.

Don’t forget to visit Cee’s blog to see other contributions to the challenge.

Word a Week: Orange

Sue of  ‘A Word in Your Ear’ has given us a challenge to show some orange photos. Orange isn’t one of my favourite colours, probably because I don’t look good in it, but I was surprised to find quite a few oranges in my photo library.

This Vervet monkey just up the road, knows that oranges are really good for him.

In Florida, I spotted enough oranges to fill your vitamin C needs for weeks.

Then of course, there are always many pumpkins knocking around at Halloween,

as well as some other scary orange stuff which I encountered in New Jersey.

Let’s rather go to Jamaica and dine on some delicious lobster,

or would you prefer a slice of Ecuadorian Guinea Pig? I’m pretty sure you’re so horrified that you might have missed the orange bricks.

Maybe you’d prefer to skip lunch and use your money to buy a lovely piece of hand-woven orange fabric.

Bangkok also seems to favour the colour orange for its temples and shrines,

as well as boat trims.

At the end of the day, I suppose I’ll just have to admit that orange isn’t a bad colour after all.

To see more orange contributions to Sue’s theme, just click here.

Wordless Wednesday: Subterranean Blues

The life of a busker in London’s Underground Tube stations, always looks so lonely to me, despite the constant stream of people hurrying by.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Bridges

Cee has requested bridges for her Fun Foto Challenge this week, so not to be let out of the fun, I went in search of a few bridges which I’ve either crossed or passed underneath.

My absolute favourites are the New England covered bridges which I have posted before, but some of you may have missed them. I’d always wanted to go ‘leaf peeping’ in the  Fall, and a few years ago my wish came true. Having read and wept over the book and the movie, “Bridges of Madison County” of course I needed to visit a few of these bridges which in my mind had such romantic connotations.

I was surprised to find that some of them were quite small and not much bigger than a single garage.

This is a much longer one, and it was rather dark and a bit eerie inside.

You might be wondering why the bridges are covered. I found an explanation which said that the trusses of the bridge are made of heavy timber, and these are the expensive part of the bridge. If they fall apart due to exposure to the elements, then the bridge is finished. An unprotected wooden bridge will last maybe ten years, but if it’s covered, it can last for centuries.

Whilst I’m showing you cute bridges, let me include this one in West Sussex, England. The country lanes are so narrow, and so the bridges are quite small across. They’re also not very high, hence the height warning for trucks. We did once see one that had got stuck underneath.

This one in Barcelona, connecting two buildings across the street, is even cuter. I believe this is called a skyway.

This one over the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok is much bigger, being 658 metres long.

Italy has some of the most gorgeous bridges I’ve seen, and the Ponte Vecchio in Florence goes way back to Roman times.

Venice of course needs many bridges, and they are all absolutely charming, although it must take a lot of practice and skill to maneuver the tradesmen’s barges underneath them.

Here in South Africa, we have the ‘Nelson Mandela Bridge’ which is over the railway lines at the Johannesburg Train Station.

Just up the road from where I live, is the ‘Millennium Bridge’. Stainless steel has been used in its construction, because resistance to corrosion is vital to such a structure, which is permanently exposed to the harsh coastal conditions here.

There are so many bridges on the drive up to my sister’s house, the most notable of which is known as ‘Spaghetti Junction’. I’m sure you can see why. A few years ago, a truck on one of the bridges, jack-knifed, and part of the horse and trailer fell onto the road beneath, with one of the containers landing right in front of someone’s car. Fortunately the driver of the car was able to slam on brakes in time.

My last bridge, also on the way to my sister’s, is the bridge to nowhere at the moment. This is as far as this new interchange has progressed in two years. It’s anyone’s guess when it will be completed.  (TIA)

I hope you’ve enjoyed my bridges, and hope you will visit Cee’s blog to see the bridges she’s posted for the challenge.

Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

“The Earth is Art. The photographer is only a witness. ” ~Yann Arthus-Bertrand

This week’s photo challenge, ‘From above’, had me especially remembering the thrill I had of flying in a helicopter over Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. It was my first time going up in one, and I hung back whilst the other passengers got on, not out of politeness, but because I realised that the last one on, got to sit at the front, next to the pilot. Method in my madness. I took several photos, but this one came out the best, and hubby, who was white water rafting at the time, was very complimentary.

Here is one taken at Niagara, looking down across the falls.

This is an aerial view of the approach to Belize.

Looking down over the Hong Kong skyscrapers, to Victoria Harbour.

A view of the famous New Orleans Bourbon Street, from the balcony of The Four Points Sheraton Hotel, which is built on the site of the legendary French Opera House.

Whilst in Palm Springs, we took a fifteen minute Aerial Tramway ride, and ascended 8516 feet up Chino Canyon.  The rotating cars allow for breathtaking views for up to fifty miles in all directions.

Looking down at the Pacific Ocean from cliffs in San Diego.

Half way up the Rock of Gibraltar, looking down on the bay of Algeciras.

The city of Granada viewed from the beautiful Alhambra Palace.

You don’t get much higher than this; soaring above the clouds like an eagle, looking down at The Alps on our flight back from Venice.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my “From Above” photos. To see more entries for the WordPress Photo Challenge, just click here.

A great family long weekend in pics.

So, what did I do whilst I was internetless and away from you all?

I hugged my daughter a lot.

I watched as she prepared the most delicious breakfasts in her beautiful kitchen.

She makes the best roasted tomatoes I’ve ever tasted.

I love smoked salmon for breakfast, or any meal, for that matter.

The weather was really warm and sunny, so each morning, we sat outside to eat.

On Saturday we went to the truly amazing ‘Body Worlds’ exhibition in Johannesburg.

I had to poke my face through the holes for a couple of photos, just so that you could see what I would look like with no skin on.

I could run with the best of them.

Body Worlds is the first anatomical exhibition of its kind to display real human bodies, and it was an absolute education,  and really fascinating to take a peek under the skin to see how our bodies are made. All the bodies and body parts are real, and have been plastinated to reveal the inner anatomical structures. No photos were allowed inside the exhibition, but I got these from The Guardian’s UK site. The first one here gave us a bit of a shock as we came around the last corner before the exit. There was a warning for anyone under 16-years-of-age, but our grandkids weren’t at all phased.  It brought to mind that old song, “I’ve got you under my skin.”

The exhibits were really riveting, in a ghoulish sort of way. The worst was a human head which had been sliced down the middle to show all the contents. The skin was still in place, and it even had eyelashes. I half expected the eyes to open at any moment, so didn’t pause there for more than a few seconds.

On Sunday we went to the Teatro at Montecasino, to see ‘Jersey Boys’.

What a fabulous show, and it was so interesting to find out the story behind the singing sensation Frankie Valli and his group ‘The Four Seasons’. I had no idea that they had such a turbulent relationship, not only with one another, but also with the police. This photo was taken as they were performing that lovely song, “You’re just too good to be true.”

We ate out every night except one, and my favourite was the Yamazaki sushi bar, where we sat around, watching the sushi being made. It was an ‘eat as much as you like’ buffet, and I was amazed at how soon my tummy told me it was getting full.   It must have been the delicious Spring Rolls we had to start with.

I paid a visit to one of my dearest friends, who lives in a little cottage with a beautiful garden.

Just look at the size of the buds on her Cymbidiums! She has really green fingers.

All too soon it was time pack up and head for home, so after many hugs and kisses, we were on the road again. The weather was still wonderfully sunny and warm, and the sky was a dazzling blue, as we drove back through the autumn landscape.

We stopped to fill up with gas at a garage which had a couple of antique vehicles parked outside.

Once back in our own province, the contrast of the lush green grass, as opposed to the brown of the much drier Freestate, was so noticeable.

and the more we drove, the greener it got. We don’t really have a winter here. It always looks much the same; blue sky and lots of greenery.

Tomorrow we’ll be off up the hill again, to see my sister and mom, and on Sunday, I’ll be playing the piano at our local mall. Happy weekend to you all. Have a great one.

Wordless Wednesday: Shoe bliss

My granddaughter’s new shoes. Oh to be young and perfect again, if it’s only to be able to wear such gorgeous shoes without toppling over.

We’re on our 7 hour drive back home today, after a fabulous few days with our daughter and family.  I have internet signal for a while, until we get beyond the greater Johannesburg city limits. Thank you all so much for your lovely wishes for Mandy’s birthday. I feel that I have a much larger family these days. You’re all amazing. I’ll be madly catching up once I’m back to normal.

My firstborn… Happy Birthday

Tomorrow is a very special day. April 7th is when my precious baby girl was born. I was quite overwhelmed with this new little life which was entrusted into my care. What a sweet baby she was.

She’s grown into a beautiful woman, and I’m so proud of her. Our two men were both taking photos at the same time, so she’s looking at her husband, and I’m looking at mine.

It was a fun evening, and we hardly stopped chatting and laughing, but did manage to eat our delicious meal in between. It was so great to see our two oldest grandchildren again.

The weather is absolutely sparkling, and today we’re going to see The ‘Body Worlds’ exhibition at a museum in Johannesburg, and then out for an Indian meal tonight. Tomorrow is Mandy’s birthday, so more celebrations, with another dinner, and tickets to see ‘Jersey Boys’ at Monte Casino. I’m so looking forward to the show as I’ve heard many good things about it. ¸.•*¨*•.♪♫♫♪Happy Birthday to my wonderful daughter.♪♫•*¨*•.♥˜”*°•.˜”*°•.˜”*°•.★★.•°*”˜.•°*”˜.•°*”˜”

The internet here is not good at all, so I’ll be absent from your posts for a while. I’ll catch up as soon as I can. Miss me, and be sure to have a lovely weekend. 

Cee’s FFC: Walks, Indoors or Outdoors

I thought I’d keep the photos for Cee’s new challenge, local. We went for a walk yesterday afternoon along the beachfront past the lighthouse,

a few fishermen,

the luxury ‘Edge of the Sea’ holiday apartments,

and up the hill to the town.

The indoor shopping centre wasn’t at all busy, unlike the pubs and restaurants along the main street.

After making a couple of purchases, we walked home along the top road and down the steep hill past the church. I thought this would make a good shadow photo.

This morning it was time to exercise once again, so it was off to the gym. The approach from the car park and the drab grey paintwork, isn’t very cheerful or inspiring,

but the front entrance looks just a tad more inviting.

There are a dozen workmen replacing the rusty roof sheeting, and it’s taking them forever to do this. Every time we go, there’s some area of equipment cordoned off, with a sign, “Workmen overhead!” Well if they were really ‘work’men, they’d have finished the job weeks ago.

I just walked into my bedroom to start packing for our trip up to Johannesburg tomorrow to see our daughter and family. There are a lot of ships parked outside our house; just sitting there doing nothing. They’ve been there for days. Our port workers are also very slow.

To join in Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, just follow this link.